Dispensing carton



- Oct. 29, 1963 Filed April 25, 1961 .G. L. MEYERS DISPENSING CARTON 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GEORGE L. @YERS ATTORNEYS Oct. 29, 1963 MEYERS 3,108,735

DISPENSING CARTON Filed April 25, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

GEORGE L. MEYE R5 ATTORNEYS FFiled April 25. 1961 Oct. 29, 1963 e. L. MEYERS 3,108,735

DISPENSING CARTON 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

GEORGE L. M YERS wwwfma/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Filed Apr. 25, 196i, Ser. No. 105,314 1 Claim. (ill. 229-51) This invention relates to a tamperproof opening means for dispensing cartons. More specifically, the invention relates to an opening means employing a tear strip and which is suitable for use on cartons for packaging soap powder, breakfast foods and dog food.

Numerous types of opening features have been employed with paperboard tubular cartons. One of the principal objections to many of the opening means previously employed in dispensing cartons is that the structure is complicated and difiicult to produce, involving greater detail in die cutting. Further, the use of lines of severance weakens the carton structure. For instance, the use of one or more lines of perforations extending through the thickness of the carton material for purposes of opening the carton easily is sufiicient to reduce the strength of the carton to the extent that it may be opened prematurely by ordinary handling. Frequently undesirable tearing or peeling of the carton panels occurs when conventional opening means are employed.

When employing an opening means on a carton, several essential features are required. The opening means should be essentially tamperproof so that any opening prior to that by the user is readily ascertainable. Further, the means employed should not materially weaken the carton construction so as to impair the overall strength of the unopened carton. Also, the means should be easy to open as well as readily accessible. Undesirable ripping or tearing otherwise than at the desired areas should be avoided. A neat looking package after opening is particularly important from the sales standpoint.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a tamperproof carton opening means which opens readily without tearing and peeling of the carton panels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a carton opening means which is readily accessible and easily operable.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a carton opening means which does not materially weaken the overall strength of the unopened carton.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a simple opening means which involves a minimum of die Cutting in forming the carton blank.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a carton blank which can be folded and closed on machines employing standard folding and gluing. elements.

According to the present invention a tear strip opening means utilizing edge portions underlying the lines of weakness defining the tear paths is employed to assure direction of the tearing force along the lines of weakness. The underlying edges minimize undesirable tearing or peeling other than in the defined tearing paths. By employing the opening means described herein, the carton can be made verminproof as well as tamperproof, since the lines of weakness do not extend through the carton material from one surface to the other.

Further details, advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and appended drawings wherein: 7

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the outside surface of an integral blank suitably cut and scored to form a tamperproof carton having a tear strip opening means,

- FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the blank of F1 URE 1 partially set up,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the same partially set up blank at a further stage,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the same partially set up blank at still a further stage,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the same partially set up blank at yet another stage,

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the completed carton in closed and sealed condition,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the opened carton,

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the outside surface of a modified carton blank of the present invention,

FIGURE 9 is a fragmental plan view of the inside surface of the blank of FIGURE 8 folded upon itself and having certain superposed portions adhered together as a step in making a carton from the blank,

FIGURE 10 is a fragmental perspective view of the modified blank of FIGURE 9 partially set up,

FIGURE 11 is a fragmental perspective view of the same partially set up modified blank at still a further stage,

FIGURE 12 is a fragmental perspective View of the same partially set up modified blank at yet another stage,

FIGURE 13 is a fragmental perspective view of the completed carton in closed and sealed condition, and

FIGURE 14 is a fragmental perspective view of the completed carton with the tear strip partially removed.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the carton is made of a single foldable blank A of flexible material such as paperboard. The outside surface of the blank is divided by score lines 10-19 and cut lines 2il25' into ln'ngedly .connected panels and flaps including side panels 30 and 32, main panels 31 and 33, glue flap 34, dust flaps 35 and 37, and end closure flaps 36, 33, 39 and 40'.

End closure flaps 39 and 40 which together constitute the opening means according to the present invention are each divided into several portions. End closure flap 39' is divided by partial outline 5G and cut lines 51, 52 into portions 39a and 3%. End closure flap 40 is divided -by partial out line 53, cut lines 54, 55, 57, 58, and perforation line 56 into portions 4%, 40b and 400. The function of the partial out, perforation and cut lines will be more fully described hereinafter.

The surface of blank A as shown in FIG. 1 is ultimately the outside surface of the completed carton. This view also illustrates the location of the partial cut lines which do not extend entirely through the carton blank material. Prior to forming the blank into a carton, the blank is reversed so that the inside surface is exposed. Then the blank is formed into a glued carton shell by folding main panel 33 about score line 12 to lie directly superposed 'on main panel 31, applying adhesive on the exposed surface of the glue flap 34 and then folding side panel 30 inwardly about score line 10 so that it overlies and becomes adhered to the exposed adhesive bearing sur- 7 face of glue flap 34. In such condition the shell may be shipped economically to the product packager for set-up, filling and sealing.

FIGURE 2 depicts an initial stage in 'Wh-lCh the carton is squared and ready for filling. When the shell is squared, panels 30, 31, 32 and 33 are positioned consecutively at right angles to each other. Usually one end is closed and sealed, the carton filled and then the other end closed and sealed. The end opposite the opening means is closed first by. consecutively infolding dust flaps 35 and 37 followed by end closure flaps 36 and 38 with end closure llap 36 superposed over and adhered to flap 38.

- 'In closing the carton shown in FIGURE 2 dust flaps 35 and 3-7 are folded inwardly about score lines 14 and 16, respectively, to lie in a common plane as shown in FIG- URE 3. Then the inner end surfaces of portion 40a of end closure flap 40 is coated with adhesive and folded inwardly about perforation line 56 to lie against and become adhered to portion 40b. Cut lines 57 and 58 not only serve to separate the ends of portions 4% and 4%, but also define the upstanding end areas of portion 4% as shown in FIGURE 4. Next a thin coating of adhesive is applied to inner end surfaces of portions 4% and 46c. Then portions 481) and 48c of end closure flap 4% are folded inwardly about score line 17 to lie superposed on and lightly adhered to dust flaps 35 and 37 as shown in FIGURE 5. Adhesive is then applied to the inner end surfaces of portion 39b and to the inner surface of portion 39a which will overlie portion 40b. The closure is completed by infolding portions39a and 39b of end closure flap 39 about score line 15- to overlie and become adhered to dust flaps 35 and portions 4th: and 4% respectively as shown in FIGURE 6. The closed carton which has the opening means adhered at both ends is essentially verminproof, siftproof and tamperproof. The use of partial cut lines at 51' and 54 instead of full cut lines obviates the necessity of adhering the closure flaps in from each end of the carton to the ends of partial .cut lines 5t} and 53 to obtain a verminproof carton. if only tamperproofness is desired, only the sealing of portion 39a to 40b is required. In the closed and completed carton the configuration formed by lines 5" 5:1, 52 overlies and is coincident with the configuration of portion 40a defined by perforation line 56 and cut lines 57, 58.

Referring to FIGURE 7, the carton is opened by grasping the pull tab, formed by the extension of portion 4% beyond portion 40b, and pulling upward and away from one side of the carton to the other. The adhesive bond between the tear strip and the dust flap is relatively weak due to both the thin layer of adhesive employed and also to the fact that both of the surfaces are usually coated with a material such as wax which does not give as good adhesion as does the uncoated paperboard. Because of the weakness of the bond the tear strip is readly detached without undesirable tearing or peeling of the adjacent surfaces. The tearing action occurs along partial cut lines 50 and 53. The free edge of portion 4% which underlies and has the same configuration as partial out line 53 and cut lines 5455 assures that the tearing force will be precisely directed along these lines. Similarly, direction of the tearing force precisely along the partial out line 50 is assured by the fact that the partial out line 5t and cut lines 51, 52 directly overlie perforation line 56 and the edges of portion 4% formed by cut lines 57 and 58. Peeling and/or tearing of carton surfaces adjacent the partial cut lines is minimized since the underlying edges act to precisely control the direction of tearmg.

In the modification depicted in FIGURB 8-14 the reinforcing edges are located at the juncture of the end' closure flaps with the main panels. Referring first to FIGURE 8, the modified carton is rnade of a single foldable blank B. The blank B is divided by score lines 69, 64-47, partial cut lines 61 and cut lines 62, 63, 68, 69, and 70 into hingedly connected panels and flaps including folding panels 75, 75a, 81, 81a, side panels 76, 78, 86, main panels 77, 79, dust flaps 85, S8, 89, and closure flaps 83, 84, $6, 87. Folding panels 75, 75a, 81, 81a are hingedly attached by and folded along score lines 64.- Perforation lines 90 and 91 define tear out portions 9% and 91:: whose function will be described more fully hereinafter.

The surface of blank B as shown in FIGURE 8 is ultimately the outside surface of the completed carton. This view also illustrates the location of the partial cut lines which do not extend entirely through the carton blank material. Prior to forming the carton blank into a carton, the blank is reversed so that the inside surface is exposed. Then, the blank is formed into a glued car-ton shell by first applying adhesive to the outside surface of" folding panels 75, a, 81, 81a and then folding the panels inwardly about score lines 64 to lie superposed on and adhered to side panels 76 and respectively, as shown portions.

in FIGURE 9. The outer edges of panels 75, 81, when in folded position, coincide with partial cut lines 61. Next, main panel 79 with panels 39, 81 connected thereto are folded inwardly about score line 60 to lie superposed on main panel 77. Adhesive is then applied to the exposed inner surfaces of side panel 76 and dust flaps 88 and the panel with the attached flaps is folded inwardly to lie superposed on and to become adhered to the outer surfaces of side panel 8% and dust flaps -89. In such condition the shell may be shipped economically to the product packager for set-up, filling and sealing.

FIGURE 10 depicts an initial stage in which the carton is squared and ready for filling. When the shell is squared, panels 76, 77, 78 and 79 are positioned consecutively at right angles to each other. Side panel 88 bears the same relationship to panels 77, 78 and 79 as does side panel 76. Usually one end is closed and sealed, the carton filled and then the other end closed and sealed. Since both ends are closed and sealed in essentially the of one end only.

In closing the carton, dust flaps 85, 88, 39 are infolded perpendicularly to the respective side panels 78, 76, 80, as shown in FIGURE 11. Then adhesive is applied to the inner surfaces of tear out portion ila and the opposite end of closure flap 86, the flap infolded about score line 66 and adhered to dust flaps d8, 89 and 35 as shown inFIGURE 12. The closure is completed by applying adhesive to the inner surface of tear out portion 9% and the inner surface of closure flap 83 adjacent the free edges thereof, infolding the flap about score line 66 and adhering it to the underlying surfaces. The closed and sealed carton shown in FIGURE 13 is essentially verminproof, siftproof and tamperproof. If only tamperproofness is desired, only the sealing of closure flap 83 to clo-- sure fiap 86 is required.

Referring to FIGURE 14, the carton is opened by applying inward pressure to the tear out portion lea. The removed tear out portions are folded inwardly along with the underlying dust fiaps 83, $9 to provide a grasping portion for removal of the tear strip comprising end panels 76 and 8t and underlying folding panels 75 and 81. The tear strip is removed by pulling upward and away from one side of the carton to the other. When the opposite side of the carton is reached the tear strip detaches along the lines of perforations defining a second set of tear out The free edges of folding panels 75 and 81 underlying partial cut lines 61 assure that the tearing forces will be precisely directed along the cut lines. Pcel ing and/ or tearing of carton surfaces adjacent the partial cut lines is minimized since the underlying edges act to precisely control the direction of tearing.

The present invention provides an opening means which is essentially tamperproof and which may be made substantially verminproof and siftproof by increasing the degree of sealing employed. Furthenthe use of underlying edges beneath the partial cut lines directs the tearing ent invention may be employed on both sides of a carton.

The use of'opening means on both sides is particularly useful for a compartmented carton in which only part It is understood that the .size and shape of the canton may be varied as.

of the contents is utilized at one time.

desired without departing from the scope of this invention.

The opening I claim:

An opening means for a tamperp-roof carton made from a single blank, the carton including a pair of opposed main panels; a pair of opposed side panels hingedly connected to said main panels; a pair of end closure flaps hingedly connected to adjacent ends of said main panels, said flaps overlapping and adhered together; said means comprising a tear strip in said closure flaps defined by a weakened tear path in each of said closure flaps extending from one side edge of the closure flap to the other; a folding element attached by hinge connection underlying and adhered to the bottom one of said closure flaps, said folding element having the edge adjacentthe hinge connection underlying and coincident with the weakened tear path in the other of said closure flaps and the oppo- 6 site free edge underlying and coincident with the Weakened tear path in said one closure flap to precisely direct the tearing force along the weakened tear paths in the closure flaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,367,706- Wil-liamson J an. 23, 1945 2,449,046 Barnes et al Sept. 14, 1948 2,833,404 Jacobs et a1 May 6, 1958 2,868,432 Guyer Jan. 13, 1959 3,022,931 Guyer Feb. 27, 196-2 FOREIGN PATENTS 458,375 Great Britain Dec. 18, 1936 

